What inspires you to pay down your cc debt?

Shell · 10-22-2006, 08:05 PM

There are a few things that help to keep me going, to pay off all my credit cards.

1. I hate owing money
2. Watching "'Til Debt Do Us Part"
3. Reading books on money & debt
4. Coming here to Frugal Village and reading how well others are doing as paying off their cards

I find the ideas on the TV show really helps me to look at myself and to make some changes in my life.

So, what inspires you to pay off your credit cards?

Mopsiehoney · 10-22-2006, 08:16 PM

I have to say the biggest thing that inspires me to pay down my CC debt is this site. Reading about everyone's struggles and triumphs really helps me feel that I can do it too. It gives me hope and keeps me motivated.

FrugalMomof3 · 10-22-2006, 08:19 PM

There are a few things that help me stay motivated

1. FrugalVillage website
2. Reading debt management, etc books
3. knowing I dont owe money

I love reading everyone's ups and downs here on FV and it keeps me motivated, I know that someday I will have a larger EF and I will be at peace with myself.

autumnlynn · 10-22-2006, 08:19 PM

What inspires me to pay off my debt is my vision of the future. I know the road is tough, but off in the distance I can see myself putting money back for my families future, I can see being debt free, owning my home with no mortgage, giving tons of money away and living like no one else!! I find inspiration from this board where I've received so much support and love, I have a thermometer graph that I fill in and that inspires me to reach the top! I also find inspiration from looking at my kids and know that I am changing the family tree!!

emily_hope · 10-22-2006, 08:22 PM

I don't like to owe money. It worries me to no end. I look to the future and hope that like Dave Ramsey says...I'll be able to live like no one else.

littlemotherhaywood · 10-22-2006, 08:39 PM

My vision for the future is my most motivating factor now. Realizing that my dh was starting a second career and we have absolutely no retirement fund and no education fund for the kids let alone an emergency fund. I can't wait for the day that I own my money and my money doesn't own me anymore. I can't wait until I can sit down and have no payments to send. I've learned so much about the evils of debt that I never want to be in this position again. I don't want my kids to either and I want to be a model of good behavior so I can teach what I preach

starsapphire · 10-22-2006, 08:49 PM

My motivation comes from not wanting to feel like a slave to the CC companies anymore, from coming here and updating the balances in my sig and seeing my ticker, from seeing others who post how they just paid off a CC or even better they paid off ALL their CC's, and from thinking about how it will feel to have a nice fat EF again and no CC payments. I was there once, (nice fat EF and no CC payments) and I really want to be there again. I feel safer with a nice stash of money in the bank.

Amanda W · 10-22-2006, 10:28 PM

I absolutely hate owing money and not feeling "free". Visiting FV definitely helps keep me motivated. The biggest reason why we really got serious about paying off our debt is because we want to start a family in the next few years. I have very concrete ideas about what kind of childhood I want to give my children, and not being in debt is going to be the biggest key to making that possible.

jade73 · 10-22-2006, 10:35 PM

The village is such a great place it makes you feel you are not alone.And the worry of waking up in the middle of the night ( I hate that feeling)

sunshine · 10-22-2006, 10:49 PM

1. Dave Ramsey

2. knowing I don't want to depend on my children when I retire

3. knowing I want to be able to give generously

4. the Bible calls for me to be a good steward of what I have, and owing the cc's is not doing that.

Darlene · 10-22-2006, 11:08 PM

Knowing I don't owe makes me sleep better at night & I like to sleep.

Gotonenerveleft · 10-22-2006, 11:36 PM

What has motivated me more than looking to the future is looking back at the past. When I realized how much money we wasted in the last year it made me almost physically sick. Oh how I wished I knew about Dave Ramsey a year ago. I would be so much farther down the road in paying things off. I have piddled away a very large chunk of money and I would be hard pressed to tell you exactly where it all went. So my motivation at this point is to stop the insanity! When I really looked at the money I blew...the interest I paid...the amount of debt I had....I got MAD and that anger will keep me motivated to keep my money and keep it out of the hands of credit card companies, department stores, restaurants, etc.....oooohh, just kick me, will ya!!!!

mythreesons2004 · 10-23-2006, 12:32 AM

I have to say, I never heard of Dave Ramsey until I started lurking on Frugalvillage. Since then, I got his book, read it, reread it and absorbed what he said.
It has really made me focus on a budget and helped me form a goal.
Seeing the success of everyone here has inspired me tremendously.
Now with CC payoffs in sight (probably about 9 months left) I'm super psyched.
My ultimate goal in the whole scheme of being Credit Card free is to be able to stock 50% of my pay per week into my 401k and IRAs.
I love having a goal!!

cas519 · 10-23-2006, 05:06 PM

When I add up all the payments I send to CC companies that I know could be used for my family it makes me mad.

But I hold on to the dream of the day when I won't have to send them payments anymore.
Reading other posts on FV about how far others have come and how much they have overcome let's me know that it is possible.

Start-Living · 10-23-2006, 05:08 PM

What motivates us is our idea of our future.
~ We want to be debt free, and have our money making money for us.

~Not having to worry about the bills, and have more times together.

BF & I hate his job now, but unfortunately he have to stay there for the money, until we paid off some debt. It will be so nice when BF have a job that he likes, and we're able to spend more times together and of-course, don't have any debt.